Friday, August 23, 2013

IVF Literacy - what's your IVF IQ ?

There are a lot of stereotypes in the world, and sometimes doctors think that a poor person is automatically dumb, and a rich person is always smart. However, this is not the case, and any doctor who assumes this is headed for trouble.

Because IVF doctors do IVF day in and day out, they sometimes start assuming that their patients also understand everything about IVF. This is especially true when patients have done IVF cycles elsewhere. Doctors then jump to the false conclusion that the patient is well-informed about IVF. Some doctors also feel that well-educated patients are IVF literate, thanks to google !

There are many people in the world that do have a problem with health literacy - and this is especially true when dealing with complex procedures such as IVF which are not always successful. An IVF doctor has to make sure that he or she is not making assumptions about their patients based on their appearance , because IVF illiteracy does not wear a face. To make sure that every patient understands what is going said to them, a doctor has to make sure that they are breaking down complicated medical terms and putting them into the simplest terms possible.

Patient communication is very important, and the doctor needs to ensure that the patient and the doctor understand each another. Many patients who write bad reviews about IVF doctors , or file complaints, say that one of the biggest reasons they do so is because they did not understand what their doctor said and their doctor did not taking the time to explain things to them clearly. When it comes to complicated medical procedures like IVF, it is very important, and necessary, that the patient understand every step of the procedure. Doctors and patients have to work together in order to conceive a child, and a problem with communication can lead to a very unhappy patient, a frustrated doctor, and a patient who ends up filing a complaint.